scholarly journals Assessment of Levels of Community Awareness to Effects of Forest Degradation and their Environmental Management Practices in Jimma Zone, South western Ethiopia

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 212
Author(s):  
Kaso Teha Nura ◽  
Fentaw Said Endris
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resource ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Forest Resource ◽  
Fuel Wood ◽  
Community Awareness ◽  
Resource Degradation ◽  
Jimma Zone ◽  
Development Agents

This study aimed to assess the levels of community awareness to the environmental effects of growing use of forest product for peoples’ livelihood and their management practices in Jimma Zone. Thus, local farming communities, Development Agents (DA), Agriculture and Natural resource, Forest and Environmental Protection Officials & Experts are the participant of this study. The study employed descriptive survey research design and both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collections were employed. To assess community environmental awareness survey questionnaire questions (both open and close ended) were distributed for 240 sample respondents. An interview with10 Key informant interviews were also conducted with the head of natural resource management offices of selected woredas and six development agents (DA) in sample selected kebeles and four focus group discussions (FDG) consisted of 10 members were also employed to collect qualitative data.The findings show that all the respondents aware of forest and natural resource degradation about (87%) and (75.4%) were aware of clearing of forest to expand farmland for growing population and cutting trees for fuel wood, charcoal and other forest productsrespectively. Only very few of the respondents were indicate that lack of community awareness to sustainable use and management of forest resource (44.5%)and lack of clear understanding of forest laws and regulation among the community (40.4%)as a cause of deforestation. Therefore, the assessment of community awareness to forest resource degradation survey result shows that all of the farmers in the study area have been aware of natural resource and environmental degradation. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that there is a need of modifying educational/training programs for local communities considering the existing knowledge and practices in a particular area.

The Future of the Planetary Trust in a Kaleidoscopic World

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Edith Brown Weiss
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Natural Resource ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Nuclear War ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
The Past ◽  
Resource Degradation ◽  
Shared Goal

Today, it is evident that we are part of a planetary trust. Conserving our planet represents a public good, global as well as local. The threats to future generations resulting from human activities make applying the normative framework of a planetary trust even more urgent than in the past decades. Initially, the planetary trust focused primarily on threats to the natural system of our human environment such as pollution and natural resource degradation, and on threats to cultural heritage. Now, we face a higher threat of nuclear war, cyber wars, and threats from gene drivers that can cause inheritable changes to genes, potential threats from other new technologies such as artificial intelligence, and possible pandemics. In this context, it is proposed that in the kaleidoscopic world, we must engage all the actors to cooperate with the shared goal of caring for and maintaining planet Earth in trust for present and future generations.

scholarly journals Assessment of alternative land management practices using hydrological simulation and a decision support tool: Arborea agricultural region, Sardinia

2007 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1811-1823 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Cau ◽  
C. Paniconi
Keyword(s):  
Decision Support ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Water Movement ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Hydrological Simulation ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Quantifying the impact of land use on water supply and quality is a primary focus of environmental management. In this work we apply a semidistributed hydrological model (SWAT) to predict the impact of different land management practices on water and agricultural chemical yield over a long period of time for a study site situated in the Arborea region of central Sardinia, Italy. The physical processes associated with water movement, crop growth, and nutrient cycling are directly modeled by SWAT. The model simulations are used to identify indicators that reflect critical processes related to the integrity and sustainability of the ecosystem. Specifically we focus on stream quality and quantity indicators associated with anthropogenic and natural sources of pollution. A multicriteria decision support system is then used to develop the analysis matrix where water quality and quantity indicators for the rivers, lagoons, and soil are combined with socio-economic variables. The DSS is used to assess four options involving alternative watersheds designated for intensive agriculture and dairy farming and the use or not of treated wastewater for irrigation. Our analysis suggests that of the four options, the most widely acceptable consists in the transfer of intensive agricultural practices to the larger watershed, which is less vulnerable, in tandem with wastewater reuse, which rates highly due to water scarcity in this region of the Mediterranean. More generally, the work demonstrates how both qualitative and quantitative methods and information can assist decision making in complex settings.

scholarly journals Epistemic and ethical considerations in the direct-to-consumer health and ancestry genetic testing process

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Huerne
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Testing ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Feminist Ethics ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
Direct To Consumer ◽  
The Cost

Background: Direct-to-consumer genetic testing (DTC-GT) is a popular and fast-growing field within the healthcare industry. Consumers often pursue DTC-GT without a clear understanding of its epistemic and medical limitations. This report will present the current state of DTC-GT technology, and highlight the ethical, legal and social issues of DTC-GT. Methods: Quantitative methods such as systematic reviews were used to evaluate the field of DTC-GT. Experimental data was taken from randomized control trials and case studies of 23andMe. Qualitative methods such as newspaper articles and surveys were also used. Relevant policies and regulatory information were analyzed in the context of 23andMe. Broader ethical issues are analyzed from the social disability model and feminist ethics frameworks. Results: Several aspects of direct-to-consumer genetic testing are outlined: (i) regulatory and legal distinctions of DTC-GT that separate its use from conventional genetic testing, (ii) epistemic issues of the genetic testing process within the direct-to-consumer context, and (iii) ethical considerations of DTC-GT in regard to genetic health and genetic ancestry. Conclusion: This report does not take a position for or against the use of DTC-GT; rather, it highlights the key ethical issues often missed in the DTC-GT process. There is no perfect method for understanding genetic health and race. DTC-GT offer consumers the ease and power of taking genetic data ‘in their own hands’, at the cost of exacerbating geneticization and race essentialism. Until further work is done to address the epistemic, regulatory and legal issues, ethical implications of DTC-GT usage will continue to exist.

Strategic human resource management practices and organizational resilience

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (7) ◽  
pp. 537-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatma Bouaziz ◽  
Zouhour Smaoui Hachicha
Keyword(s):  
Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Strategic Human Resource Management ◽  
Organizational Resilience ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Top Managers ◽  
Human Resource Management Practices

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between strategic human resource management (SHRM) practices and organizational resilience in a Tunisian democratic transition context. It is hypothesized that five SHRM practices influence three organizational resilience dimensions. Design/methodology/approach The research design is based on a deductive approach. The relations were checked over two periods by using quantitative methods. Questionnaires were addressed to top managers of resilient Tunisian companies. The hypotheses were verified after. Findings Results showed that SHRM practices affect the resilience dimensions. Analysis showed that SHRM practices enhance the robustness of firms, especially in the second period, and significantly influence agility and integrity. Practical implications Managers can use these findings to develop targeted actions in HRM to enhance a specific resilience dimension. They can make better decisions based on knowledge surrounding the precise effects of SHRM practices on resilience dimensions. Originality/value The authors highlighted the role of SHRM in developing organizational resilience. Gaps were noticed in the organizational resilience literature. This research is among the rare studies that have investigated the linkage between SHRM practices and organizational resilience. By using quantitative methods and adopting a longitudinal perspective for analyzing data, it leads to better identify the evolution of the influence of SHRM practices on each resilience dimension over time.

Report card on sustainable natural-resource use in the agricultural regions of Western Australia

Soil Research ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (6) ◽  
pp. 695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noel Schoknecht
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Natural Resource ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Report Card ◽  
The Status ◽  
Agricultural Industries ◽  
Agricultural Areas

A ‘Report Card’, which summarises the current knowledge of the status and trend in land condition in the agricultural areas of the south-west of Western Australia, was published in 2013 by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia. The Report Card draws on best available evidence from government and industry on the current condition and trend of 10 soil- and water-related natural resource themes relevant to agriculture, and discusses the implications of these results for the agricultural industries. The report also discusses the three main factors driving the performance of the land, namely climate, land characteristics and land management. The first two factors are largely out of the control of land managers, but in a drying and warming climate of the agricultural areas of Western Australia, land-management practices need to be able to respond to these changing conditions. The paper briefly explains the methodologies used to assess the seven soil-related themes in the Report Card and summarises the major findings. The results indicate that, for soils, the situation and outlook for our natural resources is mixed. Although there has been progress in some areas, such as managing wind and water erosion, the status and trend in many indicators of resource condition, such as soil acidity, soil compaction and water repellence, are adverse. The predicted growth in global demand for food and fibre brings many opportunities to the Western Australian agri-food sector but also challenges, especially in light of the Report Card findings. One of these challenges is our need to achieve agricultural productivity growth while ensuring our natural resources are healthy and resilient.

scholarly journals Between Abundance and Constraints: The Natural Resource Equation of Asia’s Diverging, Higher-Income City Models

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 426
Author(s):  
Philipp Rode ◽  
Alexandra Gomes ◽  
Muhammad Adeel ◽  
Fizzah Sajjad ◽  
Andreas Koch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resource ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Urban Form ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Urban Spatial Structure ◽  
Energy Prices ◽  
Planning Decisions ◽  
Common Resource ◽  
Building Cooling

This paper investigates how natural resource conditions impact the physical development of cities and how, once built, the urban spatial structure leads to different patterns of resource use. The point of departure for this research is the common “resource urbanisms” assumption that cities are directly affected by the availability and costs of natural resources, and that in turn, different urbanisms result in substantial differences in resource use and consequent impact on the environment. Considering extreme and divergent, higher-income urban models of Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong and Singapore, the paper focusses on two resources, land and energy, and the case of building cooling and transport energy demand. The research uses a mixed methods approach which includes qualitative methods such as expert interviews, analysis of planning documents and historic planning decisions, alongside quantitative methods such as remote sensing, GIS and data analysis and energy modelling. The paper suggests that land availability is a major driver of urban form while energy prices may play a secondary role. It also finds that urban form-induced energy efficiencies for transport and cooling energy diverge in the four cities by a factor of five and two, respectively.

scholarly journals Developing a Remote Sensing-Based Combined Drought Indicator Approach for Agricultural Drought Monitoring over Marathwada, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (13) ◽  
pp. 2091 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sneha S. Kulkarni ◽  
Brian D. Wardlow ◽  
Yared A. Bayissa ◽  
Tsegaye Tadesse ◽  
Mark D. Svoboda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Surface ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Standardized Precipitation Index ◽  
Early Warning Systems ◽  
Agricultural Drought ◽  
Drought Monitoring ◽  
Parameter Method ◽  
Input Parameters

The increasing drought severities and consequent devastating impacts on society over the Indian semi-arid regions demand better drought monitoring and early warning systems. Operational agricultural drought assessment methods in India mainly depend on a single input parameter such as precipitation and are based on a sparsely located in-situ measurements, which limits monitoring precision. The overarching objective of this study is to address this need through the development of an integrated agro-climatological drought monitoring approach, i.e., combined drought indicator for Marathwada (CDI_M), situated in the central part of Maharashtra, India. In this study, satellite and model-based input parameters (i.e., standardized precipitation index (SPI-3), land surface temperature (LST), soil moisture (SM), and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)) were analyzed at a monthly scale from 2001 to 2018. Two quantitative methods were tested to combine the input parameters for developing the CDI_M. These methods included an expert judgment-based weight of each parameter (Method-I) and principle component analysis (PCA)-based weighting approach (Method-II). Secondary data for major types of crop yields in Marathwada were utilized to assess the CDI_M results for the study period. CDI_M maps depict moderate to extreme drought cases in the historic drought years of 2002, 2009, and 2015–2016. This study found a significant increase in drought intensities (p ≤ 0.05) and drought frequency over the years 2001–2018, especially in the Latur, Jalna, and Parbhani districts. In comparison to Method-I (r ≥ 0.4), PCA-based (Method-II) CDI_M showed a higher correlation (r ≥ 0.60) with crop yields in both harvesting seasons (Kharif and Rabi). In particular, crop yields during the drier years showed a greater association (r > 6.5) with CDI_M over Marathwada. Hence, the present study illustrated the effectiveness of CDI_M to monitor agricultural drought in India and provide improved information to support agricultural drought management practices.

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